Shaft tug or support.



No. 815,730. A l PATBNTED MAR. 2o, N voc'oNmzLL. y

SHAFT "fue oRjsUBPoRT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY-1. 1905` v gmvewoz l/mw #wwcitizen of the United States,

fectively sup ortedand held in be. g

. tion is to q ITED STATES JAMES ocoNNELL, oF MOUNT STERLING, KENTUCKY.

SHAFT Tue. on SUPPORT.

No. 815,730.--y

To all tgz/7,0m it may'conojernf Be it known that I, JAMES AOCONNELL, a residing at Mount Sterling, ery and State of Kentucky, have invented newand useful Improvements in Shaft Tugs or Supports,of which the following is a specication. This invention relates to shaft tugs or supports; and the object of the e provide a simple, novel,l reliable, and handy device of the character referred to adapted for use in connection with single harnessfor the effective support of shafts, which will facilitate the hitching of. an animal, and bymeans of which the shafts Vwill be eflace irrespective of t e jar, jolting, .and Jerkingto whichdevices of this kind are ordinarilys'ub-'r jected, the constructionlof the tu or support f such that-the hinged mem ers` thereof 'are heldv locked in their .coupled position, the weight of the shafts assisting in theoperation..." Withthe'above the description proceedathednvention con-- lar view s sists in the nov construction, combination, and arrangement of arts`,.a's'hereinafter fully described,`illustrate}d, "and .claimedz 1 'In the accompanyingfdrawings, apers ecti've view of a shaft .tug embo ying the present invention.

Figure 1 is or support Figl2 .is

a vertical. sectional view-ofthe same, showin the two members of the tug coupled together as they apv ear when in use. Fig'. 3 is a siminected at their upper ends tofac'ilitate the introduction and removal of one "of the shafts, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the lower ends of the tug members'separated to illustrate-the means for limiting their relative pivotal movement. Y e

' Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the gures of the drawi Referring to the drawings, the shaft tug or" support isseen yto comprisethe twoA mainv members 1 and 2, which somewhat resemble each other, said members being preferably composed of sheet-steel or other metal of 4suitablegage yor thickness and said members being reversely curved in opposite directions to embrace and form a receptacle for one of the shafts of a vehicle.

v The member 1 is provided'at its upper end in the county ofMontgompresent invenand other objectsinyiew, the Vnature of'which will more'fu'lly'a'ppear as @Win-g the tugmembersdiscon- 'of the shaft then Patented March 20, 1906.

PATENT .oEEIoE 'with tabs or extensions 3', which are bent'into the form of small sleeves or knuckles to 'em'- brace and receive the cross-bare: of. a buckle 5 and also to embrace the strap-tongue 6, which lies between the extensions 3 and is thereby left free to workin the usual manner in engaging the strap vheld by the buckle, said buckle being adapted to receivey a strap which connects with a part of the harness,

the'shaft-tug being in this way supported -by the harness at the proper point to receive one of the shafts.

The other member 2 is correspondingly provided at its upper edge with extensions 7, spaced apart .the'same distance as theextensions 3, above referred to, and bent to form hooks which slip. over the extensions or sleeves 3 on. opposite sides of the buckle-tongue, as a shown in Fig. 2, said hooks being left openy rsufficiently 'to admit of their removal from the sleeves or knuckles 3, as shownin Fig. 3. The members land Zare'hingedtogether at their lower ends by providing'each of said members with a depending flange, the flange 8 ofthe member 1 being provided with extensions 9,r which are bent Vinto the form of sleeves Orknuckles, as shown,l and spacedY apartsuiiiciently to'receive between them a corresponding sleevev orY knuckle 10, forming an extension of the ilange 11 of the member 2. The knuckle 10 ntsbetween the extensions 8,

and al hin e-pin 12 passes through all of the sleeves or uc'kle's, thus connectingthe two members pivotally. The hinge-pin 12 is extended to form a loop,

as shown at.13,l toreceive a.. girth-'strap or belly-band. 'orfother suitablestrap 'lea the tugs or supports harness. In order to limit the outward svvin movement of themember 2, the latter is eine prog thereto, so as to hold A iniproper relation tothe vided with an integral extension or lip 14, provjecting outward from its sleeve or knuckle 10, which lip vcomes in contact with a stop 15, formed integral with and projecting from the flange 8 of the member 1. 'lhe said coperating li and stop limit the ment o the member 2 and sustain said member'in proper osition to receive or permit the removal o' the, shaft in a manner indicated in Fig. 8. After the shaft has been placed in position the member 2 is swung upward and inward until the hooks 7 engage over the sleeves or knuckles 3. The weight bears.v down on the tug or support, which is upheld by the harnessoutward movestra and this forces the lower portion of the buc le against the outer side of the member 2, and the buckle is held in said position at all times, and thus serves to eectively maintain the engagement between the hooks and the knuckles or sleeves 3 and prevent the accidental uncoupling of the members of the tug or support even when subjected to extraordinary jerking, jarring, or jolting.

In the manufacture of the tugs or supports the edges of the members 1 and '2 are by preference rounded or beveled off to prevent the same from chafing or marring the shafts, and, if desired, the said members may be lined inside or outside, either or both, with leather or other suitable material. The device forms a stirrup for receiving the shaft in hitching up the animal and may be easily attached to and detached from the harness.

The lining may be riveted to the members 1 and 2 or secured thereto in any other usual or preferred manner.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

'Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isy 1. A shaft tug or support comprising shaftembracing members, a combined hinge-pin and strap-loop connecting said members pivotally at their lower ends, a supportingbuckle connected to the upper ends of one of said members, and means for detachably connecting the upper ends of said members.

2. A shaft tug or support comprising oppositely-arranged shaft-embracing members, a combined hinge-pin and strap-loop connecting the lower ends of said members, means on the hinged ends of said members for limiting the pivotal movement of the outer member, a supporting-buckle connected pivotally to the upper end of the inner member, and means for detachably coupling the upper-ends of said members together.

sijao 3. A shaft tug or support comprising shaftembracing members pivotally connected at their lower ends, one of said members being provided at its upper end with sleeves or nuckles, a buckle having the cross bar thereof engaged by said knuckles, and hooks on the upper end of the other member adapted to engage over said knuckles, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A shaft tug or support comprising shaftembracing members pivotally connected at their lower ends, a supporting-buckle having the tongue-bar pivotally connected to the upper end of one of said members, and hooks on the upper end of the other member adapt ed to snap over the tongue-bar of the buckle on opposite sides ofthe tongue, substantially as described.

5. A shaft tug or support comprising shaftembracing members pivotally connected at their lower ends, sleeves or knuckles on the upper end of one of said members, a buckle having a tongue-bar located intermediate its ends and passing through said knuckles, and hooks on the upper end of the other tug member adapted to embrace said knuckles on opposite sides of the buckle-tongue, the buckle acting as a lever for holding the hooked end of the outer member in coupled engagement with the inner member, substantially as described.

6. A shaft tug or support comprising shaftembracing members pivotally connected at their lower ends and having a hooked and separable engagement at their upper ends, and a supporting-buckle connected pivotally to the upper end of one of said members and serving as a means for holding the said upper ends of the members in interlockcd engagement. ln testimony whereof I amx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES OCONNELL.

Witnesses: 1

J. W.BURT0N, W. R. MCKEE. 

